D’Angelo, what can I say. We waited a long while for his most recent offering and it’s outstanding. Not that I expected anything less. This album was a stop gap, fed to us (several years after recording) to quell our aching for his sound.
Tag: music
Esperanza Spalding gave me the shirt off of her back (Watching Emily’s D+Evolution)
In all honesty, I bought her shirt. Rosetta and I went to see Esperanza Spalding three weeks go and got to enjoy her and the band perform Emily’s D+Evolution in its entirety. I had the opportunity to see her perform the same album with the San Diego Orchestra in September of last year [the video below] (before it was released).
Left with baited breath, I listened to the rest of her catalog on repeat until the release of Emily’s D+Evolution in March of this year. Gladly there was a single, One (my second favorite song on the album) and it holds a lot of significance for me and further affirmed my desire to pick up the album on vinyl. Less than one week before I met my love; One was released on Tidal. I was swiping on Tinder and was enticed by an afro and beautiful smile.
Rosetta and I reminisce over our first day from time to time, but I never told her about the song. Specifically, when I heard the song my thoughts gravitated to her. I frequently talk about how impactful music is in our lives, but little did I know how this album would be so tied to my life.
In Rosetta’s office is a tiny canvas on her bookshelf. My best attempt at drawing; written on it, “I love you, unconditionally.” Unconditional Love (Alternative Version) my favorite song on Emily’s D+Evolution isn’t on the LP. Listening to this song for the first time caused my eyes to water. The juxtaposition of the band and her voice move me every time I hear it.
If you have a turntable and haven’t picked up Emily’s D+Evolution, you are wrong. Pick up your copy here. Seeing Esperanza is a treat in and of itself. Sharing the experience with the One that I love Unconditionally; priceless.
The Listening Chair – Part 2 (Before)
I’m a pretty regimented person. I like to be early, not on time. There is a menu board on my refrigerator, and I limit my time in the grocery store to 1 hour and 30 minutes on the biweekly trip to the grocery store. So, making a post that doesn’t follow my schedule is a departure that I don’t take lightly. I had to share my thoughts, and my love is away in Bali, Indonesia for a week…which makes you my confidant for the next few days.
I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about a place to sit. Except that one time, in band camp. In my last post about the chair, I neglected to give any background to the chair itself. Well, I still don’t have any. I do have pictures, and those are worth 1,000 words. Right?
You’ll notice the left arm is missing in the images. It has both, but I thought it looked dramatic and asked that it not be put back on until the end. The chair looks to be in good condition from the above angle, but…
The last owner got good use out of this chair. I see several hours of listening passing on the refurbished beauty that should be in my listening room before my birthday.
It’s late, and I should be sleeping….but before I go there’s something else I have to tell you. I have been talking with Vanessa Fernandez and she’s interested in doing an episode of Living in Stereo. I adore her.
Take a look at her covering, Disclosure – Latch
So, you could say my night is pretty good. To top it off, I got to talk to my love for a bit when I got home. So, one more record for the evening and I’m going to turn in. I can’t wait to give you an update!
Virgin Vinyl Sunday
One of my favorite jazzy ladies, and a resident in the collection of many a record collector.
The Listening Chair Part 1 – This Old Eames…
I wanted an Eames Lounge Chair. I think it started with The Sims. Then I saw the one on Frazier…then again when I was choosing components for my stereo. I figured, I’m a big boy. I deserve a big boy chair. Boy, was that sticker shock big on my face. Spending money on nice things that I’m going to keep around isn’t an issue. Spending $4000+ on a chair and an ottoman…well, let’s just say I’m not there mentally yet.
These thoughts of luxury seating ebb and flow, and in my travels to San Diego I came across a specimen at one of my favorite Hi-fi shops. He offered to crate and ship his replica for $650. My mind was blown, not only were there $4k chairs to enjoy my music in; there were replicas of said chair that I could get for a fraction of the price. That rabbit hole goes and goes and eventually you’ll be in a dark alley in the garment district of a town unfamiliar, comparing subtle differences between replica manufactures. The shipping from San Diego to Honolulu was prohibitive ($300). I was again Eames-less, no prospects of contemporary furniture that would be a conversation piece to grace my listening room. Amazon, had me searching high and low for a distributor that ships to Hawaii. I’d found one, but they had the worst reviews. I stopped looking, knowing one would manifest its way into my life.
About two months ago I met Johnathon, he’s an interesting guy. He is a DJ’s, and proprietor of Your Enthusiastic Upholsterer. Similar to myself he’s a sailor, but is preparing to retire with 20 years of service. I’m not the only service member with the entrepreneurial itch, which is a good thing. Our first conversation consisted of all the key areas; Cars, music, hobbies…but then he said, Eames. “What was that you said?” I was salivating with the possibility of filling my room with a locally sourced chair (manifestation is a motherfucker).
A couple of weeks later Johnathon came to the house, and we had a listening session. One the both of us enjoyed immensely and yielded a familiar result for myself…but Johnathon (in the style of Kevin Hart), “he wasn’t ready”. Music has moved me in ways inexplicable since I was a child, and I’ve come to have a deeper relationship with it as I’ve grown older. I completely understand his response.
That’s some humbling shit. I know how I feel when I’m listening, but sharing that with someone else is a rare and highly appreciated treat. I digress…the title of this post is “Sitting on Purple Rain…” My new listening chair; dubbed Purple Rain in honor of Prince is coming soon. Thanks to Your Enthusiastic Upholster. This is going to be a multi part post, and I’m looking forward to sharing the progress with you.
Before
Thanks.
The secret life of a submariner
I’ve been in the Navy for 13 years, and have had the opportunity to travel (to mostly 3rd world countries) and expand my view of the world. Music is what has kept me grounded during my time away from home. When I have only my brothers beside me, and we are surrounded by the ocean…there was only music to connect me to the outside world. To cause memories to traverse the depths and stir parts of my thoughts that there is no stimuli for onboard.
Running Vinyl for The People comes second to being the Leading Culinary Specialist on a Hawaii Based Los Angeles Class submarine. My time is stretched pretty thin, as I like to spend as much time cultivating the relationship with my lady as possible. She’s a business owner so, gladly she understands. And moreover, she supports my dream and for that among other things I’m extremely grateful.
Collecting records started for me in 2007. I was living in Portsmouth, NH and watching Reign Over Me. The first time I can remember seeing Adam Sandler be serious. It made me cry, and not being in the mood for tears…I thought, “I want some records”. So, I went and picked up a Neumark USB TT. No albums though. I went to Best Buy, (yes they sold records) and picked up Lily Allen – {The album with Fuck You}, and went home. I must have played that album 3 or 4 times before I headed to Bullmoose Music in downtown Portsmouth. I got distracted by the bar and never made it to Bullmoose, I had smoked my last cigarette; which led to the tobacco shop…which had records. Ever since that day they just manifest themselves into my life. That’s a piece my vinyl story.
What’s yours?
Virgin Vinyl Sunday – Amy Original Soundtrack
It’s late, and I’ve been doing a lot today, had a live stream showing how I clean records, cleaned a lot of records, did some household things…but I wanted to change how I do Virgin Vinyl Sunday. I put two cameras to use and I think you’ll like the results. Comment below and share your thoughts. I present to you Amy – The Original Soundtrack.
Vinyl Roadtrip – Fantasyland Records
A visit to the largest record store in Atlanta.
Vinyl Roadtrip – Request Records
Here’s the video from my most recent trip to Maui at Request Music, the only record store on Maui.
10,000 feet to the nearest turntable
This weekend has been great. I got to spend some time on a gorgeous island with the woman I love, watched the sunrise from above 10,000 feet, got beat up by some coral, and ate some amazing food.
What was missing? The smell of vinyl, filling my nostrils by way of digging for new additions to my collection. In addition to the fact that I hadn’t listened to a record in 4 days; I was going through withdrawals. Which led me to this post.
Searching for a record store on Maui yielded four results; two of them movie rental relics (akin to Blockbuster Video), a recording studio, and Request Music which is closed on Sunday, and having been up since 2:20AM…(to take the picture at the top of this post) this was our last day on the island and there is no denying an opportunity to go digging, (if there were there would be no need for this website).
So I walk in, music playing at a healthy level, a few records on display, some trinkets, CD’s, tapes…but I came for the basement. I found a few images on Yelp, but nothing that screamed…”come down here and dig!” I never needed to hear that though, the records whisper to you if you have the time and desire.
The basement was…full of records, all on shelves. There were hails to the 80’s and 90’s with a Schlitz malt liquor clock, and things familiar to a child of the 80’s like Zima, transporting me to Uptown DC (Northwest Washington, District of Columbia for the uninitiated) bringing thoughts of Chuck Brown, the god father of Go-Go music.
As I’m down in the basement the floor above is being vibrated by tracks ubiquitous to my adolescence from A Tribe Called Quest. I was searching for Jazz today though, Astrid Gilberto in particular.
Heading back upstairs with a single dig in hand, I wanted to see the new titles they had in stock. When I visit record stores I engage the people working there. Converse to get a sense of their level of involvement with the shop and music as a whole, that’s when I met Jeremy, the curator of music at Request on Monday. Turns out he’s been following me on Instagram (@vinylforthepeople) for a little while, we talked about the albums we are holding in the picture below for about 30 minutes, until I asked my lady to snap this picture.
I’m excited to share my digs with you in the next post, and later this week Jeremy tells us a bit about Request Records in a Record Roadtrip Video.
Until next time, keep spinning.
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